Palace of Glass
by Reboo
Summary: Noin remembers the events taken place in Cinq palace, shortly before leaving, slight 6x9


Palace of Glass  
  
Email: rlw1985@hotmail.com or lngwp@oz.zzn.com  
  
A/N: Normally I wouldn't post fics so close together time wise, buuuuuuut I'd really appreciate comments on this one, its, well really long for me to have written, so I guess you could say, I'm waiting to see the results. ^~^=flashback  
  
The young lady leaned familiarly over the balcony and peered at the evening symphony, a mass of light and dark, the velvet background pierced wtih tiny notes of gold. Space always had an enchanting presence to the lady, it always seemed as though it enveloped her and lulled away the horrors of reality. It was an exquisite place to be, or just to see. Dark violet bangs swayed in the breeze, as she contented herself with simply looking outward.  
  
The gentle summer breeze was cooling, and much preferred to the staunch hot days here at the palace with Relena. Soon enough though she would be leaving again. Leaving the place that held so many, yet so few memories and treasures of her beloved Zechs Merquise. Just the thought of him saddened, and filled her heart at the same time. It had been eight months, and five days since the Livra had exploded with Epyon in it. When that had happened her heart had gone with it, yet somehow she didn't believe Zechs was dead. Maybe her heart simply couldn't allow the possibility.  
  
Trying in vain to flee from the weight of sadness layed on her heart she cast her eyes to the city below her, the capital of Cinq, a regal city in its fullest, no matter how small it was compared to the rest. Miraculously the land had continued to be a safe haven for refugees of the war despite the fact thatRelena had handed over Cinq to the enemies. The kingdom had no ruler, and yet it managed, a pure miracle in the eyes of Lucrezia Noin.   
  
She shifted slightly back now to the city, her attention focused now on the house, and she sat there in concentration eyes focused intently on that before her. Noin tilted her head, bangs cascading over both the left and right eye, and thought. Closing her eyes she envisioned the palace, and went through a mental walk through. Bits and pieces were missing in her reconstructed version. Every part of this place was important to her, if anything ever happened she wanted to be able to recall it perfectly. Some memories just didn't seem correct to have partial.  
  
Slowly she pushed herself off the balcony railing and walked inside. Her room was quaint, and well organized. A smile crossed her face as she paused putting her slippers on. From where she was she had a perfect view of bothe her dresser and the bed. So many informal debates had taken place right there, her sitting in the chair to the dresser, Relena sitting on her bed. MOst of them had been on politics, ideals, and of course Relena's brother Milliardo. Not all of them had been so straight-lined . Lucrezia covered her mouth as she began to giggle catching sight of the faint stain on the carpeted floor. It had been one of the most hilarious converstions she could remember during the war time frame.  
  
^-^  
  
"Ms. Noin, may I come in," Relena asked after knocking softly on the door.  
  
"Of course," Capt. Noin(her title at the time) replied shoving her journal quickly into her dresser drawer.  
  
Quietly Relena walked in, taking a seat on Noin's bed. Relena stared awkwardly at her for a moment.  
  
"What is it I can do for you, Ms. Relena?" Noin asked, and raised her mug for a drink of coffee at the odd hour, at least Pagan's was a whole lot better then OZ's.  
  
The young 15 year old sat there shyly for a moment. "I want to know about guys, love, boyfriends." Of course Relena's mind was set on Heero at the time.  
  
At that Noin had royally spit her coffee out, and dropped the mug.  
  
"What?" was all she could say.  
  
^-^  
  
Noin gradually stopped laughing, and continued to grin as she walked out the door of her bedroom. That had been an odd conversation with Relena, one she was likely not to forget.  
  
Silently she crept throught the halls that were renovated touching small objects, and pictures as she passed. The large portrait of the late King Peacecraft had been moved and placed in the front hallway for all to see, and she stood there taking in the picture as she had down so many times before, and noted the great resemblance between Zechs and his father. A pang of sadness shot through her at the thought of her best friend, and it sent a shiver down her spine. Uneasy, she quickly moved away from the portrait, there was just so much attached to it, a lot of it being regret, for both Zechs and herself, and on some days if her temperment wasn't quite right everything would start to eat at her. Somedays the memories were just to much to bare for her, but for others there were plain memories to go back on, simply history itself without the personality that made it alive. The thought but not the emotions directly incontact.  
  
Lucrezia descended the front steps of the building, and the wind flapped her hair and pajamas around, and she moved away taking a short glance at the resorrected building before moving off to that which had not been rebuilt. Those places were some of the freshest in her mind. As a child, before Cinq had fallen, she would come visit the young prince and his family, with her own.   
  
There was the Great Dining Hall Fiasco in which she had accidently flung food at the young prince, and in return he fired back. That had started the catapault food fight, which after a good laugh the other nobles had joined in. Both she and Zechs had been heavily reprimanded for that insidence. As she walked through the ruins vivid memories came back, threatening to hurtle her back and send tears to her eyes for all she had lost. Those times had been while she and her fellow friends were innocent, and for that they were greatly treasured.   
  
The Dining Hall while greatly destroyed, had been one room to remain pretty much intact. The nursery on the other hand was a different story, it had been demolished, burnt to ash by the burning of the original palace by Alliance soldiers. The memory of the burning made her flare with anger, and anyone who had been there would have noticed the change in her eyes, from soft to hard, with a dangerous gleam. That act committed years ago was an ugly atrocity, sending all to many to death by flames.   
  
Noin reached the ruins of the parlor, and kicked some of the rubble around. At one time this place had been beautiful, housing mahogany furniture, and lovely paintings of all kinds. She had first been introduced to Relena there.   
  
^-^   
  
Milliardo stood in front of a child Noin, beaming from ear to ear, cuddling something soft and large in his arms. "Come take a look," he said proudly.  
  
"All right," Noin said moving closer, and she poked the bundle in his arms, and it squealed. She jumped back. "What is that thing?"  
  
"Its my baby sister," he said proudly, then thinking a little harer. "You shouldn't poke her like that. It's not nice, and you need to be really careful with her Mama says."  
  
"Okay," Lucrezia answered, tugging at the neck line of her unseemly dress. How she hated the things. "Does she have a name?"  
  
"Of course," Milliardo replied sarcastically. "It's Relena Maria Peacecraft. Pretty huh?" he asked staring up for a moment into his face. "Real pretty."  
  
^-^  
  
Those had been the good times Noin thought sighing, and there sure wasn't many of them. Her body relaxed and she let her fingers glide over the ashen walls still standing, covering them in silken black. How many memories layed within those tainted ruins. Memories flooded her mind washing her heart in happiness. Corners would make themselves known to her, showing the hiding places of her youth so very short lived. Rooms shared memories of game nights and stories, and the Guard's room the most special of all. It was one of the most single precious moments of her life, she grinned, her eyes gazing at the room taking in its state and she slowly moved through it. It was here she had become a guard at the tender age of five, it had been more or less a joke, but she had taken it seriously. While she was with the Peacecrafts her responsibility became Milliardo. She hadn't been her for the fire or else things might be different, or she could be dead. She shook her head and walked towards the gardens. How horrible the fire must have been, and she shuddered at the thought, she had enough bad memories without having to relieve those of Zechs recited to her in such a chillingly vivid manne. Not only had he described it, but included the emotions forever tied to that fateful day.  
  
Silently the moonlight guided her feet to the gardens Relena had restored. It was a very comforting place. Lilacs, Roses, Dafadils, Lillies, and Jasmine were just a few of the plants housed in the gardens. Her favorite area of the garden was a hedge maze, and as she neared it a wild grin plastered itself to her face. How long had it been since she'd been through, six months and twenty-one days it had been since she'd last entered. The last time had been because she had wanted a tangible place to remember him, one very special but away fromt the prying eyes of others. The maze was always a great place to think, it made your mind work and calmed you with its beauty. How she loved this place, in fact it was she who had requested it's rebuilding, and she was glad she had. At one point during the war Zechs had stopped by to check on things not alerign her to his presence, but she had found him the maze.  
  
^-^  
  
She stood there shocked for a moment as her best friend took hold a flower which had been gently placed in the hedge. Quelling her sudden nervousness she spoke up teasingly. "Why hello there stranger."  
  
Zechs smiled as he heard her speak, but kept his gaze on the flowers which had been placed in the hedge. "Hello my dear Imperial Guard."  
  
"Checking up on Relena our we Zechs," she scolded laughingly. "I told you I would take care of her." Noin added coming up beside him.  
  
"Yes I am, and I knew you would. Is it that wrong of me to see my sister?" he added jokingly. He turned to her amazed that he had kept himself from saying that he was here to check on her, and that he had been able to add a half attempted joke onto the end.  
  
Noin stared at him for a moment, raising an elegant eyebrow, she couldn't read his features, an unusual occurence. His features held something she couldn't recognize, and not foten did that happen.  
  
He stared back at her, refraining from smirking at the familiar eyebrow lift when she questioned something he had said or done, or couldn't read his face a rare occurence seeing she new him better then he knew himself. She had never been able to read what he felt towards her, all for the better now, but somedays he would wish it could be otherwise. He licked his lips self conciously and stared at the beauty before him.  
  
"Do you think Noin, someday we coul" he was silenced by her finger on his lips.   
  
"After this Zechs, after this." Noin spoke kindly. "Never lose your hope, your life, your dreams, but for now it is the now that matters, or you'll distract yourself, because our now determines our future in this kind of a world."   
  
^-^  
  
Noin slipped out of the maze quietly, he had looked stunning that day, it was a shame he wasn't here with her now. It was pitch black now as she made her way back to the palce, fingers quiding her as to where she should go. Lucrezia smiled as the wind whipped her bangs around, at least now the young woman had a clear picture of the buildings and the surrounding places which held the hopes, dreams, fears, and actions of so many people other than simply herself.  
  
That night she slept peacefully in the comfort that somewhere out there her angel was watching over her, and that as long as his name was uttered somewhere by someone he would never truly be dead, and at the very least she would remain in her heart, as would the place which held so many of her fond memories.  
  
A/N: Hopefully this hasn't been altered too much while I typed it, my father kept on slapping me upside the head with a magazine as he passed, needless to say he pissed me off. This piece was not meant to have a lot of anger in it, so I'm hoping I didn't throw too much in as I typed, my emotions tend to on occasion dictate my actions.(i.e. writing)  
  



End file.
